1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to torsional vibration dampers, and more particularly, to a torsional vibration damper having an axial securing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A torsional vibration damper for a lockup clutch of a hydrodynamic torque converter is known from DE 30 21 189 C2, particularly from FIGS. 4 and 5 and the associated description. The lockup clutch has a piston which can be brought into operative connection with a drive-side radial flange of the converter housing via a friction facing. A drive-side damper element of the torsional vibration damper is fastened to the piston and acts, with inwardly directed radial projections, as a control element for energy accumulators of a damping device of the torsional vibration damper. On the driven side, the energy accumulators are supported at a hub disk which acts as a driven-side damper element, and which is connected with a turbine wheel so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to it. The above-mentioned energy accumulators are interconnected by sliding elements which are movable in the circumferential direction along a guide path formed at the drive-side damper element. This damper element acts as a device for securing against axial movements of the energy accumulators and of the sliding elements by means of the above-mentioned radial projections of this damper element which closely and axially enclose the energy accumulators.
This type of construction of the drive-side damper element has a relatively complicated shape because it must be curved such that the radial projections serve as control elements for the energy accumulators at determined circumferential intervals, but serve at other circumferential intervals as a guide path for the sliding elements and also as an axial securing device. Accordingly, the drive-side damper element is comparatively complicated and uneconomical to manufacture, so that production costs are high.